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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03051991 - IO.3 I.O.-3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Costa ��•�• -- : February 25, 1991 ca.' County DATE: rTq•cooK� REPORT ON LEGISLATION TO ALLOW REGULATION OF COMMITTEES SUBJECT: OPPOSING OR SUPPORTING THE QUALIFICATION OF LOCAL MEASURES FOR THE BALLOT SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1 . Introduce, waive reading, and fix March 12, 1991 for adoption of the attached ordinance which will extend to committees organized primarily to support or oppose the passage of a local measure on the ballot, the existing local campaign reporting requirements which currently apply only to individual candidates. 2. Amend the Board' s 1991 Legislative Program to add the sponsorship of legislation which would allow a local government agency to regulate not only committees organized to support or oppose the qualification of a local measure for the ballot, but also to regulate individuals who support or oppose the qualification of a local measure for the ballot. 3 . Remove this item as a referral to our Committee. BACKGROUND: Our Committee has been considering two aspects of campaign reporting requirements which, we wished to add to our existing requirements: * Extending the County' s existing campaign reporting requirements to committees organized primarily to support or CONTINUED ON ATTACHMEN`rPS YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY I A R RECOMMENDATION F BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE SIGNATURE(S): R SCHRODER SUNNE WRIGHT McPEAK ACTION OF BOARD ON March 5,\ 1 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT_ ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: ---- - -- - - - - - ATTESTED County Administrator County COUriSel PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Clerk-Recorder Elections BY DEPUTY M382 . (10/88) oppose the passage of a local measure which has already qualified for the ballot. The Board of Supervisors can do this under existing State law. * Sponsor legislation which would authorize local governments to regulate committees and individuals which are supporting or opposing the qualification of a local measure for the ballot. The Board of Supervisors is already on recordas sponsoring legislation which would authorize local governments to regulate committees organized to qualify or oppose the qualification of a local measure for the ballot. The above recommendation would extend this to individuals who are raising money to support or oppose the qualification of a measure for the ballot, even if no formal committee has yet been organized. Approval of the attached ordinance will require committees organized to support or oppose the passage of a local measure which has already qualified for the ballot to comply with the County' s campaign reporting requirements. The proposed legislation, taken together with legislation which has already been sponsored by the Board of Supervisors, will extend this ability to regulate to committees and individuals who are raising money to either qualify or oppose the qualification of a local measure for the ballot. COUNTY COUNSEL'S OFFICE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA oatet February 19, 1991 To: Internal Operations Committee From: Victor J. Westman, County Counsel rye By: Mary Ann McNett Mason, Deputy County Counsel l7 . Re: Local Campaign Reporting Requirements In its order of February 5, 1991 the Board of Supervisors directed County Counsel to prepare a draft ordinance which would include within the existing campaign disclosure requirements each "committee supporting or opposing a candidate for county office and each committee supporting or opposing a local ballot measure which is being voted on only in Contra Costa County. " We have also included in the draft ordinance modifications to the enforcement provisions of the existing Fair Campaigns ordinance, to extend those provisions to such committees . (Ord. Code S 530-2 . 1002 . ) The draft ordinance is attached for the Internal Operations Committee' s review. All modifications to the. current ordinance are underlined. If the draft ordinance is adopted, a copy of the action must be filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission (Gov. Code § 81009 . 5) . The Board of Supervisors also requested that County Counsel draft language for an amendment to state law which would authorize local agencies to impose additional reporting requirements on proponents and opponents of the qualification of a local measure for the ballot. The Board desires authorization for a local agency to adopt an ordinance which would require that: 1. . . not less than 24 hours before beginning to circulate petitions to qualify a local measure for the ballot, or as soon as $1000 is collected for the purpose of financing the qualification of a local measure for the ballot or to oppose the qualification of a measure for the ballot, whichever occurs first, the proponent or opponent of the measure shall file a statement of organization with the County Clerk, and not more than 15 days thereafter shall reveal the amount and source of all contributions to the Committee. " Internal Operations Committee -2- February 19, 1991 Draft legislation which would authorize a local agency to adopt an ordinance imposing such filing requirements on proponents or opponents of the qualification of a local ballot measure is attached. The proposed legislation does not specify the content of such local regulations but provides the general authorization for their enactment. Upon passage of the proposed legislation, the Board of Supervisors could adopt an ordinance imposing the specific filing requirement desired. Changes in state law filing requirements for local ballot measure qualification committees . Committees formed to support or oppose the qualification of a local ballot measure became subject to additional filing requirements under state law as of January 1, 1991 . Any person or combination of persons that receives contributions totaling $1,000 or more in a calendar year is a "committee. " (Gov. Code S 82013) . Within 10 days of the receipt of contributions totaling $1,000, a committee must file a statement of organization with the Secretary of State and the County Clerk. (Gov. Code § 84101 . ) A committee which supports or opposes the qualification of a local ballot measure is subject to this requirement. As of January 1, 1991, committees formed to support or oppose qualification of local ballot measures must file semiannual campaign statements .by July 31 for the period ending June 30 and by January 31 for the period ending December 31 (Gov. Code S 84200) . Government Code section 84200(x) (4 ) , which exempted ballot measure qualification committees from filing semiannual statements until 21 days after petitions are filed or 21 days after the deadline for filing petitions, has been repealed. (Stats . 1990, c. 581 (S .B. 284 ) . ) The semiannual statements must be filed with the County Clerk of the county in which the committee is domiciled. (Gov. Code S 84215. ) In addition, committees formed primarily to support or oppose the qualification of a local ballot measure must file a preelection campaign statement 21 days after any petitions are filed or 21 days after the deadline for filing petitions, whichever is earlier. (Gov. Code S 84200.5(f) . ) According to Wayne Imberry, consultant with the Fair Political Practice Commission' s Technical Assistance Division, the state campaign disclosure requirements for committees formed to support or oppose the qualification or passage of ballot measures will be detailed in Campaign Disclosure Information Manual D (1991 ) available in April from the FPPC. Although state. law requires ballot measure qualification committees to file statements of organization and semiannual campaign statements, state law does not impose such requirements on proponents of qualification of a measure prior to receipt of $1, 000. Also, it Internal Operations Committee -3- February 19, 1991 semi-annual statement is due. In addition, state law does not require the immediate filing of a committee's statement of organization upon the receipt of $1,000 . After such receipt, committees have 10 days to file the statement. State law also does not require that a campaign statement be filed within 15 days of the filing of the statement of organization and does not require that a campaign statement disclose the source of contributions unless the cumulative amount received from the source exceeds $100. (Gov. Code S 84101; 84200; 84211) . Pending Legislation In 'response to the Board of Supervisors Order of October 30, 1990, this office prepared a draft amendment to Government Code section 89001 .5, which in our opinion would remove the statutory barrier to local governmental agencies imposing filing requirements additional to or different from those required by state law applicable to committees formed or existing primarily to oppose the qualification of a local ballot. measure. This draft amendment has been adopted as part of the County's legislative program. This draft legislation does not specify the content of local regulations concerning ballot measure qualification committees . It would provide a local jurisdiction with the authority to impose filing requirements on such committees additional to or different than those imposed by the state. This legislation would not authorize a local agency to impose filing requirements on a proponent or opponent of a ballot measure prior to its receipt of $1,000 in contributions and qualification as a committee. MAM:fjb/jf Attachments cc: Steven L. Weir, County Clerk-Recorder Robert Delavati, Elections Supervisor FB-3 a:\mam\memo\campaign.req PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO PERMIT THE REGULATION OF PROPONENTS OR OPPONENTS OF THE QUALIFICATION OF A MEASURE FOR THE BALLOT IN A LOCAL JURISDICTION SECTION 1 . Government Code section 81009 .6 is added to read: 81009.6 Local Regulation of Proponents and Opponents of Qualification of Local Ballot Measures. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a local government agency may by ordinance impose filing requirements additional to or different from those set forth in Chapter 4 for elections held in its jurisdiction, if the additional or different requirements apply to proponents or opponents of the qualification of a local ballot measure which is proposed only in that jurisdiction. (b) A local government agency enacting an ordinance pursuant to subsection (a) shall define "proponent" and "opponent" for purposes of its ordinance. ORDINANCE NO. 91- (Reporting Requirements for Committees supporting or opposing a candidate or local ballot measure) The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors ordains as follows (omitting the parenthetical footnotes from the official text of the enacted or amended provisions of the County Ordinance Code) . SECTION I . SUMMARY. This Ordinance amends Ordinance Sections 530-2 . 802, 530-2 .804, and 530-2. 806, to extend the existing campaign disclosure requirements to committees supporting or opposing candidates for county office and to committees supporting or opposing local ballot measures voted on only in Contra Costa County. This ordinance amends Ordinance Code section 530-2 . 1002 to extend existing enforcement provisions to such committees . SECTION II . Section 530-2 . 802 of the County Ordinance Code is amended, to apply to committees supporting or opposing local • ballot measures voted- on only in Contra Costa County, to read: 530-2 . 802 Candidate and Committee Reports . Each candidate, each committee supporting or opposing a candidate for county office, and each committee supporting or opposing a local ballot measure which is being voted on only in Contra Costa County shall file a campaign statement in the county clerk-election division office, on every date a statement is required by the Political Reform Act covering the same time period as the statement filed pursuant to state law and an additional statement by 12:00 noon on the last Friday before the election covering the period between the previous statement filed and 12:00 midnight of the last Thursday before the election. This filing must be timely received by the filing officer and is not accomplished by deposit in the mail . This statement shall include, in addition to all matters required by this section, the same disclosures required for the last campaign statement before the election by the Political Reform Act. (Ords . 91- §2, 84-14, 84-9 . ) -1- ORDINANCE NO. 91 .1. t- SECTION III . Section 530-2 . 804 of the County Ordinance Code is is amended to apply to committees supporting or opposing candidates for county office and to committees supporting or opposing local ballot measures to be voted on only in Contra Costa County, to read: t 530-2 . 804 Campaign Statement. Each county campaign statement required to be filed by candidates for county office, committees supporting or opposing a candidate for county office, or committees supporting or op_posing a local ballot measure which is being voted on only in Contra Costa County shall contain: (1) (a) The total amount of all contributions received during the period covered by the campaign statement that equalled twenty-five dollars, or more, and (b) the total of all contributions of less than that cumulative amount. (2 ) If the cumulative amount of contributions from a person is more than twenty-five dollars and less than one hundred dollars and a contribution has been received from that person during the period covered by the campaign statement, the statement shall include the date and amount of each contribution, the name of the contributor and the type of contribution, such as monetary or nonmonetary (in-kind contribution) . In the case of in-kind contributions, the fair market value shall be reported. If the value is unknown, a written valuation shall be obtained from the donor and this valuation reported. (3) If the cumulative amount of contributions from a person is one hundred dollars or more and a contribution has been received from that person during the period covered by the campaign statement, the statement shall contain the same disclosures required by Government Code S 84211 ( f ) . (4 ) Candidates and committees need not duplicate any reports of contribution and/or loan required by state law but may certify that reports made pursuant to this section are in addition to those made pursuant to state law. (Ords . 91-_ S 3, 84-9 . ) SECTION IV. Section 530-2. 806 of the County Ordinance Code is amended to apply to committees supporting or opposing a local ballot measure which is being voted on only in Contra Costa County, to read: -2- ORDINANCE NO. 91 530-2.806 Out-of-county committee reports . Committees domiciled outside this county which make independent expenditures or contributions for or against any candidate for county office or for or against any local ballot measure which is being voted upon only in Contra Costa County shall file a report with the county clerk's elections division, in the time and manner required by Government Code §§ 84200 ff. for committees domiciled in this county which either support or oppose a .candidate for county- office or support or oppose a local ballot measure which is being voted on only in this county. (Ords . 91 §4 , 84-9 . ) SECTION V. Section 530-2 . 10 of the County Ordinance Code is amended to extend existing enforcement provisions to committees supporting or opposing candidates for county office or local ballot measures voted on only in this county, to read: 530-2. 1002 Clerk and district attorney review. (a) In addition to other duties required by law, the county clerk shall monitor all statements (except those of candidates for his office or committees supporting or opposing candidates for his office) filed pursuant to this chapter. He shall: ( 1 ) Determine whether the required statements have been filed with his office; (2) Determine the timeliness of filing; ( 3) Determine whether the statements conform on their face with the requirements of this chapter; and (4 ) Determine_ if any reported contributions exceed the allowable maximums established by this chapter. (b) The district attorney shall monitor all statements of candidates for the office of county clerk, and all statements of committees supporting or opposing candidates for the office of county clerk, as set forth in subsection (a) . (c) If the county clerk, in the course of monitoring statements as required by subsection (a) , determines there has been an apparent violation, he shall notify the candidate or committee. If the district attorney, in the course of monitoring statements of candidates for the office of county clerk, or committees supporting or opposing candidates for the office of county clerk as required by subsections (a) and (b) above, -3- ORDINANCE NO. 91 determines there has been an apparent violation, he shall notify the candidate or committee. (d) The candidate or committee shall be allowed to correct any reports within five days after notice. (e) The county clerk shall report to the district attorney any apparent violations .of this chapter which have not been corrected by the candidate or committee. (f ) The county clerk and district attorney shall each compile and maintain for five years a current list of statements or parts of statements which he is required to monitor. Each list shall be indexed by the candidate' s or committee' s name. (g) The county clerk shall make recommendations to the board of supervisors on additional penalty provisions . (Ords 91- §5 , 84-15, 84-9 . ) SECTION VI . EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance becomes effective 30 days after passage, and within 15 days after passage shall be published once with the names of supervisors ,voting for and against it in the a newspaper published in this County. PASSED on by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTEST: PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board and County Administrator By: Deputy Board Chair fb3\a:\mam\ordinanc\cmmttee [SEAL] -4- ORDINANCE NO. 91